Select Local Merchants

The premier destination for wonderful burgers, Johnny Rays BBQ in Pelham is one of the area's highest-rated restaurants. It's a popular spot for guests seeking excellent food.
Defined by its outdoor seating, the restaurant is a fantastic option when the Alabama weather cooperates. There's not really a recommended attire, so feel free to dress comfortably. Also, though the prices are considered to be lower than average, you aren't going to sacrifice any quality. In fact, you should be able to enjoy a good meal for $11 or $12, and can probably get in and out for $8 if you try.
In addition to its quick service (take-out is available), the restaurant also offers delivery, and can even cater an event for you.
A reputable option for both lunch and dinner, chances are you won't walk away from Johnny Rays BBQ disappointed. Don't worry about trying to find a spot on the street, as visitors to the restaurant do have access to a private parking lot nearby.

A well-known Italian restaurant in Pelham, Nino's is the ideal spot for amazing sandwiches and tasty pizza. It's a culinary destination for those looking for outstanding food.
No specific attire is required, so feel free to dress casually and comfortably.
Upon arrival, see if you can try the osso bucco or the eggplant parmigiana, as either one will make a good impression. For those watching what they eat, the menu does feature vegetarian items. In addition to its quick service (take-out is available), the restaurant also offers delivery, and can even cater an event for you.
A highly-regarded spot for both lunch and dinner, Nino's Italian Restaurant definitely won't leave you disappointed. Its owner is known to be "friendly" and "great." Don't worry about trying to find a spot on the street, as visitors to the restaurant do have access to a private parking lot nearby. Should you prefer to pedal over there, bicycle parking's also offered.

Since 1950, the family-owned Whataburger chain has served up its iconic burgers and fresh, made-to-order meals with a commitment to excellent customer service. In addition to lunch and dinner, the North Central Alabama-area restaurants' 24/7 hours and fully fledged breakfast menu have made them popular destinations for early morning and late-night dining.
Besides the classic Whataburger, the modern menu includes options such as the jalapeno and cheese Whataburger, the Whatachick'n sandwich, and the Whataburger Jr., which is a regular Whataburger that doesn't know how to tie a tie. The breakfast selections remain rooted in hearty tradition, with crispy chicken strips covered with honey butter and served atop biscuits. Additionally, signature Taquitos are warm tortillas stuffed with ingredients such as scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, guacamole, and grilled vegetables.

You'll definitely want to add this place to your arsenal of grocery stores. At Logan Farms Honey Glazed Hams in Pelham, you'll have the ability to shop a diverse selection of groceries that are both affordable and highly nutritious.
For breads, cookies, cakes, and pies that will blow your mind, are couple extra sweet ingredients are kitchen must-haves.
If pasta is what you're in the mood for, swing by Logan Farms Honey Glazed Hams and pick up some fresh noodles.
If you're looking for a great coffee or tea beverage, the team at Logan Farms Honey Glazed Hams will help you out.
Without a doubt, the best vinegar and oil options are stocked on the shelves at their terrific store.
If you're looking for beverages that will handle all your hydration needs, look no further. This drink will refresh, renew, and refuel your energy.
For that bowl of crunchy goodness, cereal is a winner for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, the produce from this store will give you the energy your body needs.
Luckily for you, this place has delicious meat in stock for your cooking.
Not only is fish great for your heart, but it also packs a punch in the flavor department, so get to grilling!
If you're a lover of all things dairy, help yourself to some great products at Logan Farms Honey Glazed Hams for all your protein and calcium needs.
You can't find a better selection of spices and seasonings than the one here.
Discover a new flavor of bread at Logan Farms Honey Glazed Hams and get creative with your sandwiches.
When you have a hunger craving in between meals, these snacks will come in handy.
Have you heard about the amazing frozen food offered here? Conveniently priced and designed to save you time where it counts, you'll be amazed you didn't try these dishes sooner.
When all you need is an incredibly quick dinner, this place offers some of the best TV dinners around to satisfy your needs.
Picking up canned foods is terrific for when you want a quick meal, are participating in food drives, or need some last-minute eats to keep you from starving. You'll definitely want to browse the selection at Logan Farms Honey Glazed Hams today!
Stay refreshed no matter where you are! Water is available at Logan Farms Honey Glazed Hams.
The area holds many available spaces for customers to park.
So grab some fresh grocery items from Logan Farms Honey Glazed Hams in Pelham and treat yourself to a home-cooked meal.

At Pelham Food Mart in Pelham, you can stock up on all of your grocery items that you need for the week.
For cool, refreshing H20, Pelham Food Mart's got you covered.
If you're looking for beverages that will handle all your hydration needs, look no further. This drink will refresh, renew, and refuel your energy.
Add some produce to your next dinner plate for a delicious meal jam-packed with vitamins and nutrients.
If you're a lover of all things dairy, help yourself to some great products at Pelham Food Mart for all your protein and calcium needs.
There's no better way to start your busy day than making a flavorful coffee or tea from Pelham Food Mart.
Looking for tender and juicy meats? Here you can find delicious cuts of meat all year long.
Feeling hungry? Heat up a tasty and affordable TV dinner from here and enjoy the convenience of a quick meal.
When you're looking for a little tart flavor to add to your meal, you'll want to grab some vinegar. For something a little more savory, that definitely calls for oil. When you shop here, you can stock up on either to ensure your food is tart and savory in equal measures.
Bread at Pelham Food Mart is absolutely delicious.
Going on a road trip or heading to the office? Easy to take anywhere, this snack will hold you over between any meal.
A classic breakfast option, cereal is always good to have on hand. A box is sure to ease everyone's morning appetite without taking too much time off the clock.
Health-conscious eaters will love the wide selection of fish on hand.
Take your cooking up a level of flavor when you choose from their wide selection of seasonings and spices.
Switch up your weekly pasta routine with a new and exciting pasta recipe. Grab some noodles from Pelham Food Mart and get cooking.
For breads, cookies, cakes, and pies that will blow your mind, are couple extra sweet ingredients are kitchen must-haves.
Everyone wishes they had more time, but when you start shopping the selection of canned foods at Pelham Food Mart, you actually will have more time because of the food's ease of preparation.
Hungry for a tasty meal but don't have the time to spend in the kitchen? Frozen food is an easy solution.
Here you can find nearby and easy in-and-out parking for your vehicle in a jiffy.
Get your grocery shopping done in a pinch. Pelham Food Mart has everything you need to make a great meal in Pelham.

If you love to cook, you will love the vast variety of staple and specialty grocery items at Deer Springs Grocery in Pelham.
From freshly baked pastas to packaged noodles, Deer Springs Grocery has all of your pasta necessities.
You won't be able to tell the difference with the frozen foods available here for your cuisine convenience.
Take a dive and swim away with some succulent fish. It's a great source of protein for your next meal!
Skip the hassle of baking your own bread and pick up a freshly-baked loaf from Deer Springs Grocery.
Whether you're dressing a salad or cooking up a storm, oil and vinegar are essential kitchen items, so make sure you have an ample amount on hand.
Find a large array of bold and flavorful coffees and teas at Deer Springs Grocery and sip your way through tasty goodness.
You can't find a better selection of spices and seasonings than the one here.
Produce like this is not just nutritious...it's delicious, too!
The cuts of meat here are tender and fresh. Pick up a selection of meats today and start your weekend off with a barbecue.
Feeling hungry? Your favorite healthy and light snacks are waiting for you at Deer Springs Grocery.
If you're a lover of all things dairy, help yourself to some great products at Deer Springs Grocery for all your protein and calcium needs.
Deer Springs Grocery understands what it's like having no time at all. That's why they make sure they're well stocked with the canned foods that help save you time.
If you're looking for beverages that will handle all your hydration needs, look no further. This drink will refresh, renew, and refuel your energy.
For cool, refreshing H20, Deer Springs Grocery's got you covered.
Not everyone has time for pancakes in the morning. Get going with a tasty box of cereal the whole family will enjoy.
For baked goods that are as delicious as they are fluffy, don't forget to pick up some fresh ingredients to make sure your creation hits it out-of-the-park.
Fresh produce fills the shelves here, so you can stock your fridge with healthier options.
Who's hungry? A frozen entree will fool anyone's palate, so why waste time cooking up a storm?
For your convenience, there are plenty of parking spots for you to make use of during your visit.
Deer Springs Grocery has everything you need for your pantry, fridge, or freezer, so get to shopping.

Groupon Guide

“I'm not the kind of guy who's going to say ... ‘I only buy local ingredients,’” said Ryan McCaskey, the chef and founder of Chicago’s Michelin-starred Acadia. Instead, the James Beard Award–nominated chef sources many of his ingredients from Maine—and even sources his salmon from New Zealand.In so doing, he’s bucking the burgeoning farm-to-table trend. Chefs like Rick Bayless, Paul Kahan, and Paul Virant—three local luminaries who McCaskey thinks “do it right”—brought the locavore movement to Chicago’s attention. The simultaneous uptick in Chicago farms, especially on the South Side, have made local sourcing increasingly doable.McCaskey, though, hasn’t been converted. He views the local food movement as “a little bit of a double-edged sword.” We chatted about what he views as farm-to-table food movements’ pros and cons.Pro: Farm-to-table reminds him of his time in Maine.He called the state his “second home”—before opening Acadia, he honed his culinary skills at Goose Cove Lodge in Deer Isle—and the lifestyle there centered on local food. That meant daily markets, and “the produce and the food that you get in the local store comes from a farm down the street. [Often] people just come and knock on your door with fresh eggs, fresh chicken, some cheese they made.”McCaskey added, “We didn’t really think about it like, this is a trend. That’s how you live.” (He lived this lifestyle in '90s Maine but said it still endures to this day.)Pro: Local food can have a mysterious X-factor.McCaskey spent the year before his restaurant opened in “very remote parts of Africa.” Even eating three square meals a day, he ended up losing 15 pounds on his travels. “I ate like normal,” he said, still a little bewildered as to how it happened. He has a theory, though: “There’s nothing in their food. There’s no hormones, no weird sprays.” While he knows those non-organic touches are meant to protect consumers, he also hypothesizes that they make American food heavier than African meals.Pro: It’s “the way food should be.” McCaskey elaborated that to him, that means “less manipulated, in it's purest form, you know."Con: It's trendy.And McCaskey is skeptical of trends.“I'm not a big guy on trends and fads, really. Except for our ramen, I think everything else we do I just do it because I want to do it.”Con: Buzzwords can be a marketing ploy.McCaskey thinks that some chefs use words like “organic,” “local,” and “sustainable” to be viewed part of the Bayless cohort mentioned in the intro. “But they just can’t be, in my opinion,” McCaskey added. To be part of that cohort takes talent as well as sourcing savvy. Con: Quality matters more than location.“I just try to find the best,” McCaskey said. He elaborated that while mushrooms might grow in his backyard, he wouldn’t use them over more flavorful ones flown in from Florida.Con: Thoughtful sourcing should be assumed.“I know exactly where pretty much everything comes from on our menu,” McCaskey said. (He even knows the exact hill his blueberries grown on!) “But the thing is, I don't need to use it as a marketing tool because ... people just assume it's going to be really great product. People coming to eat at our restaurant, nobody I think would say, ‘Oh, they're using lesser grade eggs’ or something.”Top photo courtesy of Acadia RestaurantRead more from award-winning chefs:Sean Brock's three key tenets to Southern cookingJoanne Chang's five essential baking tools

Every time chef Emeril Lagasse says “Bam!”, he wins a new culinary award. Or at least, that’s how it can seem. The star chef has won a James Beard Award, an Ivy Award, and been featured in a Smithsonian exhibit. It’s no wonder he runs 10+ restaurants, is always on TV, and typically just goes by “Emeril”—a trick previously reserved for Madonna.During our chat with him, in celebration of Groupon's Summer Tastes, we discovered one of Emeril’s rare non-culinary secrets: he’s a great storyteller. Check out a selection of his stories and snacking secrets below.GROUPON: You first started learning to cook from your mom, Hilda. What did she teach you that you still use today?EMERIL: Calde verde soup. It’s a Portuguese kale soup that is still an essential in my house. My kids ask me all the time to make it and it always brings back a lot of memories. Soups in general are incredibly comforting to me and remind me of my mom and early days cooking together.G: Who is a celebrity, in the food world or outside of it, who’s made you starstruck?E: Julia Child had me starstruck the first time we met. She is a culinary icon who was one of my first mentors. I was working at the Parker House when I first met her. She came in unannounced and wanted me to cook for her. I could definitely feel the pressure but was honored to be able to cook for her.G: What’s a not-super-healthy indulgence you’ll never give up?E: Potato chips, in particular plain Zapp’s potato chips. And they are the best when they are frozen.G: Through your foundation, you do a lot of work with disadvantaged kids. What’s the most surprising thing they’ve taught you about “kids these days”?E: Kids are very resilient and inherently have a positive attitude. I find it so rewarding to help provide tools and resources and empower kids to follow their passions. It’s about helping kids create lasting habits to take with them in whatever endeavors they explore. Kids these days have so many options and opportunities but we have to help them achieve a strong foundation and confidence in order for them to realize these potentials.G: When you’re in New Orleans and not at your own restaurants, what are some of your favorites to dine at?E: New Orleans has so many new restaurants and dining options. Some of my staples that I always go back to are The Galley Seafood (they have a killer seafood boil), Pho Tau Bay (they are currently in the process of relocating, but they serve the best Vietnamese I’ve ever had), and Domilise’s Poboy’s (best poboys in the city).G: What’s an easy way to “kick up” a meal?E: Visit your local wine store and have your wine merchant suggest pairings that will go well with the dishes you’ve selected. This will elevate the meal to more of an event. (Another good trick is to finish savory dishes with a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt or fresh herbs.)G: What is a kitchen tool that most home cooks don’t have, but should?E: A Japanese mandoline. These are inexpensive, easy to store, don’t take up too much space, and allow you to make paper thin slices and/or perfectly uniform julienne of vegetables and fruits.

When I moved from Los Angeles to Chicago, I was surprised to find that what I missed most about my hometown was not the beaches, the mountains, or the uniformly great weather. It was the donuts. Five years and 5,000 half-assed old-fashioneds later, I’ve had time to reflect on why no other American city even comes close to topping LA’s donut game. From Randy’s in Inglewood to Stan’s in Westwood—and all the mom-and-pop shops in between—here are nine reasons why the best donuts in Los Angeles are also the best donuts period.1. A giant donut is literally the first thing you see when you’re flying into the airport.There’s no getting around the fact that LAX is a miserable place. But before visitors to this fair city are greeted with an hour of runway taxiing and searching for lost baggage, they get to feast their eyes on the massive donut that resides permanently atop Randy’s Donuts (805 W. Manchester Blvd.). Brothers Ron and Larry Weintraub co-own this landmark shop, which has appeared in such cinematic masterpieces as Earth Girls are Easy and Volcano. The drive-thru is open 24 hours—just in case you caught the redeye—and the classic jelly is better than any donut in your city.2. It’s not overrun by mediocre chains.Chain donut shops are fine, especially if you’re craving a sad, wilting maple bar and a scalding hot cup of America’s Most Overrated Coffee. But, hey, you know what’s even better? Pretty much every donut shop in Los Angeles. Bostonians may pride themselves on supporting the Big National Chain, but LA—like much of California—has staunchly resisted its intrusion for years. Drive through the city, and you’ll find a mom-and-pop donut shop on nearly every corner. Sure, they may not all be great, but you won’t know that until you try them. Think of it as playing the lottery with the odds stacked in your favor.3. You can get Chinese food and donuts under one roof.If you’ve lived in LA for any reasonable amount of time, you’ve likely stumbled across a shop that sells Chinese food alongside donuts. These small, hole-in-the-wall establishments may owe to the influx of Cambodian immigrants in the 1970s, though their donuts tend to be of the standard American variety. They’re also incredibly inexpensive, so it makes good economic sense to substitute a glazed cruller for a side of white rice. Check out Mom’s Donuts & Chinese Food (601 N. Silver Lake Blvd.) in Silver Lake and discover why LA really is the city where dreams come true.4. “Gourmet” donuts are a stupid fad, but LA even has those.Putting bacon on your donut is a sign of insecurity, and charging $4 for the resulting abomination should be a crime worthy of arrest. It’s not that experimentation is bad, per se, but sometimes a good thing just doesn’t need to be gussied up. The people of LA seem to know this intuitively, which is why you can still find a no-fuss, 50-cent donut everywhere you look. If you have special dietary restrictions, you can always hit up a vegan spot like Breakaway Bakery (5264 W. Pico Blvd.), but here’s a rule to live by: the best donuts belong in your belly, not on Instagram. 5. Shhh. The best donut shop in Chicago is an LA donut shop in disguise.If you live in Chicago, maybe you’ve visited a Stan’s Donuts recently. And while you were there, maybe you thought to yourself, “This is a good donut place.” You were right! But at its jelly-filled core, Stan’s in Chicago is really just a dressed-up version of the original Stan’s (10948 Weyburn Ave.), an unassuming stand in Westwood that’s been churning out the hits since 1965. 6. When New York bakers tried to get all meta-donut, LA beat 'em at their own game.By now you’ve surely heard of the cronut, the half-croissant, half-donut hybrid invented by Chef Dominique Ansel in his New York bakery. Is the cronut necessary? Of course not. But New Yorkers have this annoying habit of thinking they’re the best at everything, so LA was forced to take the cronut and make it even better. Hence the brûléed crullant from Semi Sweet Bakery (105 E. 6th St.) , a cruller-croissant that comes topped with two layers of brûléed sugar. In the low-budget class, the clear winner is the $2 faux-nut from California Donuts (3540 W. 3rd St.). Hey, New York, can you make a $2 cronut?7. Potato flour donuts are common in LA and nearly impossible to find elsewhere.Donuts made with potato flour were once not all that uncommon. Sold under the franchise name of Spudnuts, these donuts could be found everywhere from Alaska to the American South, but the parent company shut down in the late 1970s and independent stores gradually followed suit. Except in LA, that is, where Spudnuts is very much alive and ready to answer the burning question of “What does a potato donut taste like?” (Not like french fries, strangely enough).8. Most LA donut shops are open late, and plenty of them never close.Donuts are fatty, sugary, and inexpensive, which means they’re the perfect food to eat when your inhibitions leave you at 4 a.m. Thankfully, LA has no shortage of donut shops open 24 hours, including the aforementioned Randy’s and California Donuts.9. A donut bought in LA is a victory for the American Dream.There are plenty of reasons to crown LA the donut capital of the world—so many, in fact, that it’s almost silly to even be having this conversation. But the most compelling reasons lie in what kind of country we want America to be. Do we want to live in a country where a hardworking, ever-smiling couple like Ralph and Celia Primo (Primo’s Donuts, 2918 Sawtelle Blvd.) can battle the big chains and emerge victorious? Do we want to live in a country where you can exchange a single dollar bill for the best damn donut of your life? If your answer is “Yes!”, then come to LA. And look out for Randy’s on your way in.Photo illustrations by Mark Mills, GrouponDig in to these other delicious reads:Celebrate Pi Day with Six of America's Best Pies
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